Supplying power in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, Entergy Corp. has become the target of an investigation by the New Orleans City Council for using paid actors at public meetings to show support for a proposed power station.
A nonprofit news outlet called The Lens first revealed how actors were paid to attend meetings last fall and again in February. It led to the recent action by the city council where councilman Jason Williams said it “perverted the process.”
“I, too, share in your outrage. I, too, believe it was absolutely unacceptable for paid actors to be part of this process,” Councilmember Helena Moreno said during the meeting. “And as you all know it’ll be up to us — the City Council — to get to the bottom of it.”
The meetings focused on a 128-megawatt power station that carries a $210 million price tag.
Entergy says the plant could be in service by 2020 and apologized for what happened. But critics still question the project, saying the company did not fully explore alternatives.
While the New Orleans city council gave approval in a 6-1 vote in March, some of the same critics want it to rescind the support.